About Me

I am a 37 year old Mom of two kids in Birmingham, Alabama who works from home (as an accountant), blogs, and creates images of Birmingham and surrounding areas in order to raise money for a local charity that rescues victims of human trafficking. I never liked writing in school, but my Mom made me do it anyway (that’s right – I’m a product of homeschooling, and am totally inflicting the same on my kids), and it paid off when sometime in 2008, I found that I had an unquenchable passion – nay, obsession – with attempting to entertain via blogging.

I write about mostly useless but hopefully entertaining things, but every now and then write about real stuff – and maybe could even be described as “helpful” once in a blue moon. At times I sit alone and dwell in angst about the shallowness of my blog, but most of the time, it’s a welcome lightness to my life. In fact, my butt is much more well-known than me, thanks to my most popular post series.

My favorite part of blogging is the relationships I’ve built. I have so many rich friendships with people – both with those I’ve met in real life and with those who are still figments of my internet connection – via blogging. So please say hi, introduce yourself, tell me where I can find you, and I’d love to get to know you!

I also run Picture Birmingham, a site where I sell my photographs of Birmingham, the south, and beyond in order to give 100% of the profits to The WellHouse, a ministry that rescues victims of human trafficking both locally and nationally.

In summary, I love my husband obsessively, love my kids a ton, and especially love my God. Hopefully all of this comes across in my writing, in some way or another.

I love hearing from readers, so feel free to email me anytime at graspingforobjectivity@gmail.com. It might be the next naptime before I’m able to reply, but I will get back to you!

Grasping for Objectivity currently has 150,000-300,000 hits per month and a loyal, interactive readership. For a media kit with site demographics, stats, and advertisement rates, please feel free to email me at graspingforobjectivity@gmail.com.

Media Disclosure:

I do make money blogging. It doesn’t come close to paying for itself (good thing I love blogging), but helps offset some of the expenses. However, I strive to only make money on things that are completely above board ethically speaking, and never accept any opportunities for ads or other revenue sources when I feel that they would be annoying to my readers or take away from the quality of my blog.

My opinions are absolutely always my own.

Although I do not offer in-post advertisement links, if I have a product link to an Amazon product, it is through my affiliate account, which affords me a small percentage of commission for any items purchased. I only use these affiliate links if I am going to be already talking about a product anyway, and since I have always used Amazon for a large portion of my own purchases, I have been linking to Amazon products for far longer than I’ve had affiliate links. I love Amazon.

If you have any questions about my blogging practices, please feel free to email me at graspingforobjectivity@gmail.com.

Comments

Hi Rachel – I live in Jacksonville, AL and have visited your AL Bloggers blog from time to time and think I’ve been here before, too. But I’ve just really dug into your blog here today and I love it! You and your hubby are too much fun! :D

Love this piece on the Mom jeans that my daughter Claire directed me to! I think I was about to get a pair of elastic waited jeans till I read your article, and was sharply reminded of the perils within!! We live in Auckland New Zealand where are butts need shapely coverage! We’ve never heard of long butt before, but rather know it as ‘freezer bum’ because the wrong jeans can make your backside look the size of a chest freezer! Best wishes from across the Pacific! Karen

I LOVE YOUR blogs! At the risk of offending your husband, and I apologize profusely, as he looks like a great guy…you should do a follow up to your Long Butt Jeans and Mom Jeans shopping trip to make over your mom and do research about Dad Jeans…surely you heard about flack Pres. Obama got for wearing so called “dad jeans” to throw out the first ball at the Nationals home opener last year. (If you don’t know what I am talking about, Google “Obama dad Jeans” and you’ll get all the info you need on that topic!) SInce you provided such a great public service to women across the globe on the topic of the right fitting jeans..perhaps you can help our men out a bit too. (This suggestion is coming from a woman who’s husband is 6’2″ 150 pounds and wears jeans 2 sizes too big because “they’re comfortable” , and two sizes too short because “they were on sale.” I actually refer to said pair of jeans as “somebody else’s jeans.” Hubby doesnt’ like that too much, nor my never ending suggestions for him to buy jeans that actually fit, let alone look good. Perhaps you could help all the men of the world with a little “research” on this topic as well. :)

Hey Rachel,
I am a mom of a 1 year old (and in March of 2012 a newborn). I absolutely LOVE reading your blog! We live in the Birmingham area and I work downtown, for the company in your most recent hilarious blog. I hope to, maybe someday, meet you, as I think you are an absolute riot!
Thanks for sharing your life and humor!
Adrienne

Hi Rachel, I’m a WAHM (work at home mom) from Peoria, Illinois. I found your blog while Googling for a way to alter the waist on my jeans. We have a few things in common: an appreciation for homeschooling, our faith, and our love for writing. We also share an interest in dressing attractively without looking overdone or underdone. (That makes us sound like beef roasts in the oven… but you know what I’m trying to say.) So I’ll be following your blog and recommending you to my small-but-growing readership!

i just read your long butt jeans blog and the follow-up and am still cracking up about it. your sense of humor is too fun – you remind me of myself. i think we would get along. i am a mom of 3 kiddos – 6, 3, 7mos – and we also kick it homeschool. i think i may just have to keep up with your blog!

Hi there! My name is Taylor and I am a college student in Arizona! My Mom somehow found your blog and sent me a link because she saw that you are a stay at home mommy who does accounting as a side job. That’s what I am looking into doing someday too! I was wondering if you could maybe answer some questions? :) I think your blog is very cool by the way ;).
Hope to hear from you soon! God bless!
~Taylor

Hey Rachel! I came to your blog today because I remembered that you had posted some pics of Ali coloring scripture coloring pages last year. I would love to post those on my blog. Now that I know you are operating one-handed, I feel bad asking you to do anything for me! IF you don’t mind them being shared and IF you feel like it and it’s not too much trouble, could you send me those pics? Thanks!

I hate to admit that today is the first day that I’m on your site… pinterest got me here – and I’m already running late coming back from lunch – I was laughing out loud at your Mom Jeans post!!! Thank you… I’m new at this mom thing (asher is 7 months) and I’m at the point where I need new clothes… all my old clothes do not fit. So… in a nutshell, thank you for the advice!

I’ve bookmarked your site… and will be par-taking in your festivities from day to day!

Just found your site and I’m your newest follower! I was looking at you main pic thinking “huh that place looks just like railroad park” and now I realize it was! Small world! I’m a fellow Birmingham blogger. Maybe I’ll see you around town sometime. :)

They are HARD to come by for sure!! I ended up wearing my normal jeans (with the button rubberbanded) almost my entire pregnancy because I hated how they felt AND looked. Pea in a Pod has some nice ones, but they’re really pricy.

Thanks for the insight and laughs re: the Gap of truth! I’m looking forward to exploring the rest of your posts, as well as my closets for some of these great offenders! I’m very butt-aware, if you will, and curious to see how my selections measure up. Signed, A 45-year-old mom of 3 who definitely likes to rock her jeans :)

Just found your blog through FB when someone shared your mom jeans study. Hilarious!!! You really do have a gift for entertaining through writing. Just thought I’d leave a comment since I love it when folks comment on my blog :-).

Rachel, I have to tell you, I am an almost 45-year-old woman with adult children. I was originally introduced to you on Pinterest, from your hilarious and spot-on denim post.

I would have never expected to be drawn in by your blog. On the surface, we have nothing in common. However, you have sucked me into your world! You have an intelligent creative, amusing writing style that I very much admire. You and your family are adorable, including your mom!

I find most blogs vain, shallow, and honestly, just plain annoying. I admit to turning up my nose in self-satisfied superiority at most of them. Rachel, you are truly a breath of creative fresh air and I am very pleased that you are now at the top of my home page. I wish you and yours the very best and I look forward to reading about your life for years to come!

Thank you so much!! You’re too sweet. I’m pretty flattered that there’s something that makes me a little less hateable than the regular blogger… I need to figure out what that is and keep doing it! :)

But seriously – I really appreciate your words. A lot of days I wonder why I’m doing what I’m doing, but then comments like this make it all worth it! You’ve made my evening, and perhaps the rest of my week!

I found your blog because of the ever-popular mom jean post via pinterest, which is kind of ironic because I hate jeans and refuse to wear them, but I think your writing style is hilariously spectacular, and you actually seem like someone I’d get along with in real life.

Funny Stuff! I found your blog while googling “what makes jeans mom jeans” although I’m actually a grandmother. Also liked the Downton Abbey chart. Will mark this as a favorite and check in frequently.

I happened upon you blog and was pleasantly surprised to find that you live in Birmingham! So do I! After reading some of your posts it just felt like I could relate to them a little more, almost like a neighbor!. I love all of your jeans posts. I could use a shopping trip with you lol! Your family is beautiful, and I can’t wait to see more posts :)

You’re a fabulous writer! Loved reading your jean experiment that my sister posted on pinterest. It was so funny that I wanted to see who this chick was. Ha – I NEVER do that! I look forward to reading more. :)

Well, I only own GAP and Old Navy jeans and was directed over here… what would you suggest for someone with a size 6/8 waist and size 2 legs/thighs, tiny butt and no hips?? (other than sit-ups– I do a lot of those as well!!) I’d love to find jeans that actually fit!!

Awesome!!!! Imagine my surprise after searching for Downton info, that i would come across your blog! The city skyline in the background of your main photo looked soooo familiar!!!! A fellow Birminghamian, yay! Saving your blog address after I finish this note!!! Be well!!!

Just read your post about mom jeans through pintrest! Loved it! I’m a new mom so I need to be reminded how to be fashionable :) I was also homeschooled and I’m hoping to do it when my son gets older. So your posts about homeschooling will really come in handy, love how you make things into a game! Very Creative! Can’t wait to read more :) I’m definitely a fan!

Hi there,
I just found your site from a interest post and loved the fun reading. Especially the mom jeans. I am forever afraid of jean shopping. I once wore a size 26/28 so I really didn’t think about the fashion of how they look but now that I have lost weight I am completely at a loss to find the right fitting jeans. I buy size 10 so that my thighs can fit but when I buy other styles of pants I typically buy a size 8 because the waist fits so much better. Any brand suggestions that I should try to fit my huge thighs?

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE your blog about Mom Jeans! I was cracking up (out loud, mind you!) the entire read! I’ve always had trouble with fit from Old Navy and Gap. I stopped going there completely. Every once in a blue moon I would stroll by and see a cute outfit on the mannequin and get sucked in only to find myself tormented in the dressing room. A friend told me that the denim is stacked in tall piles and then the jean patterns are “stamped” cut. So, a 4 on the top of the pile is not a 4 on the bottom of the pile. I would love to see you test this theory – same style, same sizes just multiples of each to see if there is a fit difference with the same size & style. Of course, having to put on the horrific jeans over and over to test is in itself a cruel punishment. Anywho, I am 40 and a new “bonus mom” that lives in Cincinnati, Ohio. Coincidentally, one of my best friends lives in B’Ham! Excellent read and I will be back to visit again soon! Amy

Rachel!
You completely summed up that dreaded jean shopping experience! I just have to tell you that after reading your mom jean blog, I got my butt up, marched right into our local “she she” denim store in Clayton, MO. and found my perfect jeans! I remembered the whole pocket placement concept and walked out with a pair of jeans that actually flatter the booty!!! Thanks for the laughs and the great shopping advice

Hiya! I’ve been online most of the morning looking for inspiration for our blog and how to utilize pinterest and then quickly became distracted by other blogs (yours is one of them). I haven’t searched your site entirely yet, but I’m looking forward to trying to find the right jeans for my body. I’m a mom of 6 kids (pregnant 9 times) and as a result I wear a size 14 jeans, but only because I have large hips. I hate that most size 14 include what I like to call a “fat pocket”, that extra bit of material under the waistband, and then there’s the extra thigh room. Very frustrating. When I do try to fit in a smaller pair of jeans my stomach is made to suffer when I sit down as the waistband squeezes me like a clingy 4 year old. Can you point me in the right direction?

It’s all about finding the brand that has the right proportions for your body shape. Unfortunately, I had zero models with your body shape volunteer for my shopping trips (even though I begged), so I don’t have a great rundown of brands for you to try. :-( I would start at Maurices, though, especially Silver jeans, and see how they do.

What a fabulous blog! I, too, found your blog because of your post on Long Butt syndrome. Absolutely hilarious, and insightful, and true! As a 31 year old mom-of-6, I am ever aware of the mom jeans out there and how much I DON’T want to be caught wearing them-ever. Although I don’t obsess over fashion, (I’m just not cool enough to be super fashionable, nor do we have the budget for it while also clothing my husband and our brood of children), I do like to look nice, be a positive example to my daughters, and and be attractive for my husband. :o)
On another note, I am also a Christian, and I homeschool our oldest children. This autumn I’ll be homeschooling 3rd, 1st, and Pre-K, while holding our 3 year old and 20-month old twins at bay. Feel free to pray for me’. :o)
Thanks for blogging. I look forward to reading more. -Kate

I’m so happy I found your blog. I live in Huntsville, AL. And my husband’s family is from Birmingham (well, the Chelsea and Pinson areas). I just started seriously blogging in August, but I’m loving it so far. And I’m loving the connections and friendships I’ve made along the way. Can’t wait to get to know you! :)
Stephanie @ meetwithasmile.blogspot..com

I just came across your blog today and really enjoyed your post on Gap and Old Navy jeans! Not only was it informative but it made me laugh too. I look forward to connecting with you in the future.. God Bless!

Thanks so much for your blog on 35 things to do in Birmingham, I’m always looking for something to do with my kids, husband or other couples that don’t cost an arm and leg… We will definitely be putting those ideas to use.. Thanks again

Hi Rachel – Found your blog today thru a RT by Lite99 (The top of Birmingham is a great place to have a deep conversation.) which lead me to Alabama Bloggers = one in the same. I normally don’t have the time nor patience to read a blog but your personality in your writing drew me in. Managing the social media for our organization (Greater Shelby County Chamber of Commerce) along with other duties, my attention span can be quite short as I “Tigger Tigger bounce bounce” from project to project. Your blog made me stop and allow myself to enjoy reading as your family goes though the nightly sleep routine. Hilarious and also true. Thanks for inviting others into your world and sharing the human condition in a humorous manner. I needed a smile this morning and found one on my face after reading a few lines. Not laughing at you … laughing with you. Looking forward to sharing your tweets and enjoying your blog/ journey! May you and your family have a blessed day, Lisa :-)

Hi!
Came across your blog on a web search for “Birmingham mommies” – I’m looking for as much info on Birmingham as we are considering a move there for my husband’s job. Although we are accustomed to moving all over the U.S.A (my husband spent 20 years in the Navy), I’ve never been to Birmingham before in my life! Lots to learn! We have two kids (girls, ages 7 and 4) so schools, neighborhoods, and things to do are at the top of my list!

I can’t remember how I came across your blog today, but your Denim Drama series of posts made me (very tenderly) laugh my head off. I laughed so hard I cried. And now I need more Tylenol because laughing hurt and I am recovering from dental surgery and sporting a chipmunk cheek on one side of my face.

Just discovered this blog! We went through Alabama a few months ago and the spring flower were gorgeous. I guess thats why google felt I needed to find this blog ha ha ha . I look forward to following your posts. Many blessings be

I just found your blog by accident. I relocated to Alabama 9 years ago. It nice to see such a well laid out site. I’m a Realtor in Hoover, AL and trying to decide how to start a blog or maybe what to blog about? Raising three young boys, having a full time job and basically trying to be super women has made my life interesting. Thanks!